Living Dead
by coalesce
Summary: Mikan Sakura, dead at age ten. The unwitting murderer? Natsume Hyuuga, age ten.
1. Chapter 1

A plot bunny ambushed me. Anyway, this story takes place when Mikan gets out of the cab that drove her to the Alice Academy. 

\\\**  
Living Dead  
Chapter One**  
\\\

Mikan opened her eyes but shut them immediately at the blinding sunlight. She was sprawled on her back on a grassy riverbank, the shallow waters beside it as pale as the blue sky looking down on them.

She sat up, surveying the area with narrowed eyes as she got used to the brightness. There was a bridge over the river, and busy townsfolk dressed in traditional Japanese clothing were crossing it, some pulling carts laden with goods and others riding bicycles strapped with deliveries. Not just the people but the town, as well, was reminiscent of the olden Japanese days. The roofs of the houses and the rustic shop houses screamed volumes of the timeframe they were stuck in. Men were dressed in _gi_ and _hakama_ while ladies went around in _kimono_ and _geta_. Children played on the streets wearing pastel-coloured_ yukata_.

Mikan looked down at herself, half-expecting herself to be clad in a_ yukata_ like the other children, but was surprised to find that she was still wearing her modern clothing. Pink flats covered her toes and she was clad in her favourite white skirt and the sleeveless green top her best friend Hotaru had given her for her birthday last winter. Strapped to her back was a small backpack made to look like a woolly lamb.

Had she fallen into some sort of time-warping black hole? Where was she, exactly? There was no bus stop, taxi stand or train station in her peripheral vision. Had she fallen from the sky?

Hundreds of dizzying thoughts swam through the brunette's head, yet she remained eerily calm. She wasn't quite sure why, but she felt panicking was useless. She felt no urgency, no_ need_, to contact her grandfather or the friendly police even though she was clearly lost. Somehow, she felt like she had all the time in the world. She could take her own sweet time to figure out her situation. Therefore, emotions like worry or panic were useless.

"Hello, what are you doing there? Have you just arrived?"

Mikan faced the direction the voice came from. There stood a young man with nearly shoulder-length blond hair. He was wearing a simple olive green_ yukata_ with fish patterns. Mikan felt attracted to him somehow.

"Excuse me, sir," she whispered. Her voice was hoarse from disuse. "Where is this place?"

Narumi looked at her with pity in his eyes. "So you haven't realised it," he said kindly. "It's alright – I wasn't quite sure where I was either when I first came here." He beamed good-naturedly. "I've been here for a couple of hours at most, I think. But then again, I'm not sure. It's impossible to tell time here." He laughed, but it sounded hollow.

Mikan's eyebrows knit together in confusion. Narumi stopped laughing and knelt down to face her eye-level. Her face reminded him of a dear friend of his. He held out a hand for her to take. "My name is Narumi. I used to be a teacher. Now, come with me and I'll take you to someone who will be able to explain everything that's going on."

Mikan looked at his pale hand apprehensively. "Come on, trust me." His eyes crinkled merrily as he smiled at her once more. "We'll be together for a while."

Mikan slipped her hand into his, and they walked down the busy street together. "My name is Mikan!" She grinned beatifically up at Narumi. "Since you used to be a teacher, is it okay if I called you Narumi-sensei?"

The blond nodded, his soft, wispy locks bouncing as he did so. "Then is it okay if I call you Mikan-chan?"

The little girl laughed her approval, squeezing the older man's hand tighter. They entered a ramen restaurant together, and tramped up the stairs that led to the owner's residence above the store. They stopped in front of a cream-coloured sliding door.

"Reiko-san!" Narumi called. "I've got a new arrival!"

There was the sound of feet scraping tatami mats before the paper door slid open, revealing a young woman with short black hair.

"But she's so young!" she exclaimed upon looking at Mikan. The brunette thought she saw something like pity flash in the lady's eyes, but it disappeared so quickly she decided that she had simply imagined it. "Come in, little one. I'll prepare a _yukata_ for you."

Mikan clutched the fabric of Narumi's_ yukata_ as she looked up at the man. He smiled gently, his lavender eyes kind and rheumy. "Go on," he said, pushing her lightly into the room.

Reiko caught the girl before she fell, and the door was slid shut. Narumi leaned against the paper material, letting his bangs shadow his eyes. He sighed, thinking about Mikan. He wondered how a girl so young had died so soon.

\\\

Misaki was running a lot today. First, he had to run out of class to his greenhouse when his alarm system went off, signalling that an intruder had broken in. Upon inspection, he saw that a few of his whip beans had gone missing, no doubt the handiwork of that diabolical Narumi. How many times had he told him to stay out of his precious beans?

So he ran to the staffroom to confront the blond, but he wasn't there. Then, he heard that the elementary school delinquent Natsume Hyuuga had escaped from campus yet again. Since Narumi was his homeroom teacher and therefore responsible for him, he deduced that the blond was probably patrolling the Academy walls, waiting for a chance to capture the misfit. So, once more, he ran.

While he was running to the guardhouse, he spotted a boy in the trees, wearing a black cat mask over his face. It was Natsume. Misaki changed direction, running to where the boy was. However, halfway during his beeline, an explosion occurred – no doubt caused by Natsume's Fire Alice.

The force of the blast sent the teacher flying, landing crudely on his back as flames and black smoke billowed into the air. Misaki coughed, expelling the noxious fumes that had forced their way into his lungs. Bleary-eyed, he went slack-jawed at the extent of damage one boy had made.

There was a gaping hole in the Academy's reinforced, three-metre thick wall and the trees and plants nearby were set aflame. He couldn't see what was beyond the hole as thick, grey swirling smoke surrounded the area. However, he vaguely made out Natsume's outline as he leapt down from his perch on the tree and dashed into the smoke – to freedom.

Misaki knew he had to go after the rogue student, but he was more worried about the safety of the pedestrians – there was a huge, busy street outside the Academy walls, after all. So he ran to his initial destination, the guardhouse, to inform the officers on duty of what had just occurred. After instructing them to call an ambulance, the police and a fire truck, he ran to the staff building of the Academy to inform the head of discipline, Jinno, and the three headmasters.

After that, Misaki was instructed to assist the police that were inspecting the crime scene. A young policeman – probably a rookie, Misaki thought smugly – reported to him.

"Five injured in total, sir," he reported, his voice wavering slightly. "And two dead."

Misaki had a foreboding feeling at the boy's words. "Who are the deceased?" he demanded briskly, striding over to the crew of medics at the same time.

The rookie jogged to keep up with Misaki. "A young man and a little girl, sir."

"Was the girl wearing a school uniform?" His eyes roved over the injured people lying on the ground, being treated by people dressed in white. Where was Narumi? He refused to look at the two lumps being carried into the ambulance by stretchers – the bodies were completely covered in white sheets.

"No, sir. She was a civilian, I believe. The man died instantly, as he took on the full force of the blast. The girl was crushed by a block of concrete from the wall. She was still alive when the fire fighters rescued her, but died about fifteen minutes later."

"I see. Where are her parents?" Misaki couldn't find a single strand of blond hair in the writhing mass of people beneath him.

"Apparently she came alone," the rookie read from the clipboard he was carrying. "She had just alighted from a cab when the explosion took place. We're questioning the driver now as we speak, so we may be able to identify her body and inform her family."

_Identify the body_. Misaki was pale – there was no mirror for him to look at himself, but he could feel the colour seeping out his tanned face. He licked his dry lips – a nervous habit he thought he had rid himself of. Still refusing to look at the deceased bodies, he scanned the crowd of people that had gathered around the scene. Narumi wasn't there either.

He felt a tap on his back and he spun around wildly, expecting Narumi to be standing there with a big grin and a peace sign. He was disappointed once again, however, when it was just the chief medic.

"Are you a teacher at the Academy?" Kurosaki – the medic – asked gruffly.

"Yes," Misaki croaked.

"We found this ID on one of the dead bodies." He handed Misaki a plastic case with a picture of a blond man in it. Misaki felt his heart stop.

Misaki wasn't thinking anymore – his mind had gone into a hazy blank as his hands trembled, dropping Narumi's Alice Academy identification card. He turned and ran towards the medics carrying the dead bodies, ignoring the rookie and medic's yells of stop.

He collided heavily with the innocent paramedics, who dropped the bodies as they rolled onto the floor, sheets gone. The crowd gasped and yelled at the sight. The smaller of the two bodies – a young girl no older than ten years old, with long, brown hair in pigtails – lay face down on the concrete sidewalk. Blood gushed from her head and her back had an indent, showing that she was crushed. The other body was that of a man in his twenties – he lay next to the little girl, but his face was turned towards the sky. His eyes – a brilliant shade of purple – were blank and staring. His face and torso were heavily bloodied.

"NARUMI!" Misaki yelled, preparing to leap onto the carcass to shake its shoulders, as though to snap it out of a trance. Two policemen rushed over to restrain the berserk teacher, who struggled valiantly against his muscular captors. "Oi, Narumi! Wake up, you bastard! You're going to be late for your class! Oi, Narumi! What kind of teacher are you!"

Misaki went slack all of a sudden, and the policemen loosened their grips slightly. His neck didn't seem to be able to support his head anymore. Small droplets of water stained the ground beneath the three men, and the policemen wondered if the teacher was crying. However, when the skies began pouring all of a sudden – there had been no warning in the form of grey clouds – they thought they had been mistaken. They couldn't tell the difference between tears and rain, but it didn't matter. Misaki's face was wet all the same.

\\\

Natsume collapsed in a dark alleyway somewhere in the city of Tokyo. His thick, onyx hair was matted with sweat and his black cat mask was askew. His eyes were livid and his pupils were dilating. He panted heavily, letting the heat of his sweat sink in. The frantic pounding of his heart yelled hysterically in his ears, doing little to calm him.

He had always wanted to escape from the Academy, but this was the first time he had actually pulled it off. He had never expected to succeed – oh, he was one with little faith in himself. But now that he had… Well, now that he was free from the Academy walls and out in the open, what now? What could he do? Where could he stay the night? What was he going to do for money? He couldn't keep running forever without food – damn, he shouldn't have skipped lunch to pull escape attempt #22 off.

Natsume struggled to his feet – his legs were aching and his muscles and lungs were burning. He had to run, _now_. Persona – the detestable man in charge of the Academy's dark operative group, of which Natsume was a member of, though not by choice – was coming to get him.

Oh wait, he was here already.

"Going somewhere, Natsume-kun?" Persona's silky voice cut the air, laced with venomous amusement. Natsume tensed, refusing to look up at the fire escape ladder Persona was perched on.

The mask-clad man leapt gracefully from the ladder, landing sure-footed in front of the escapee. "Do you have any idea what the extent of your damage has caused?" His voice was devoid of amusement now – it was cold and hard. Bitter, even.

For once, the fiery-tempered Natsume was lacking the gall to glare at the entity of hatred in front of him.

"Boy, you must be punished."

With a frustrated roar, Natsume pushed past Persona and tried to run into the open street – he was only ten, and surely some people would feel sympathy for the boy and help him escape from the older man, who must have looked like a bully. However, before he could get away, Persona sent a swift kick to his gut, knocking Natsume against the grimy alley wall. The boy doubled over in pain, and Persona kicked him relentlessly, over and over again. Natsume screamed in agony, but his desolate cries only seemed to fuel the man's determination to expel the boy's appendix out of his mouth.

When the kicking stopped, Natsume was near unconsciousness. He thought the pain was over for now, but he was wrong. Persona's hands went to his leg, and he pulled. The scream he evoked from the boy was enough to rival a hog's sent to the slaughter.

Moments later, Natsume lay motionless in the shadows of the filthy alleyway. He was too drained to even writhe in pain.

Persona's fluid voice pierced the terse air once more. "Next time you disobey the Academy, I will not just break your leg. I will tear it from your body." He turned on his heel, his footsteps echoing in the narrow alleyway, which had bore witness to the inhumane punishment. "Now, come. A car should have arrived to take us back to the Academy."

Natsume didn't move. He couldn't.

Persona's hand hovered above the door handle of the car that was parked outside the alleyway. He hesitated for a moment, then he turned around and walked back into the alleyway. He stared at the prone body before kneeling and scooping the boy into his arms.

\\\\

Mikan was silent as she absorbed the information Reiko and Narumi had just given her. She was dead, as was Narumi, and Reiko, and the rest of the townsfolk. They were in a village called Sayona, one of many in which the deceased inhabited in the afterlife. Here, the spirits created jobs and schools to pass the time – the eternity they had together.

Narumi calmly sipped the tea Reiko had prepared for him. In Sayona, the people felt no hunger or thirst, but liked to indulge in beverages and food to relive the days when they were still alive. He hadn't been dead for very long when Mikan arrived, but when he had arrived and Reiko found and explained to him his current situation, he wasn't very surprised. He had a colleague back at the Academy he used to work at who was a psychic, and she had once told him of a place like this. Reiko was astonished at how easily he conceded to his state of lifelessness. Now the two adults were waiting for a reaction from the little girl sitting in front of them.

Mikan smoothed out her pink_ yukata_ and flashed her two thousand watt smile at the pair. "It's okay – I think I get it. That would explain that crushing feeling I got here," she pointed to her chest, "before I blacked out. I don't remember anything after that, and when I woke up here, I was wondering why the pain was gone."

"Mikan-chan…" Narumi reached for her hand and cradled it in his. "Do you… Do you remember how you died?"

Mikan laughed hoarsely. "Not really. I'm kind of glad that I don't, or I'd be really depressed, I think. What about Narumi-sensei?"

Reiko sighed. "Narumi doesn't remember how he died, either."

"Reiko-san, do you?" Mikan blushed cutely. "That is, if you don't mind telling me." She hiccupped at the end of her sentence.

Reiko folded her arms, tucking her hands into the folds of her black and white kimono. "I don't really remember either," she said honestly. "Not many do, I think. Some remember slowly dying from diseases, while the rest who do remember how they died claim they were murdered. Those aren't happy souls – most of them are vengeful, trying to escape from the Sayona to the Living World to kill those that killed them. It's sad, really."

"Is that so," Mikan said softly, hiccupping again.

"Oh, Mikan-chan." Reiko held her arms open. "It's okay to cry. Come here."

With a wail, the brunette sailed into the older woman's arms, burying her face into the black fabric. Reiko rubbed the little girl's back, humming a lullaby her mother had taught her when she was still alive, and running her other hand soothingly through the loose locks of hazel hair.

Narumi smiled and got up to leave. "If you ladies would please excuse me…"

It seemed like hours until Mikan finally stopped crying, but you could never tell how much time had gone by in a place as eternal and timeless as Sayona. The only indication of what time it could be was the sunset – its orange hues reflected in the river facing the ramen shop. The golden light seeped into Reiko's room, softly illuminating Mikan's sleepy face as the older woman tucked her into a futon.

She opened the sliding door and stepped out, quietly sliding it back in place. Narumi was leaning on the wall opposite her, arms crossed.

"Is she alright?" he asked.

"Mm," Reiko answered absent-mindedly. "About that thing you were asking me earlier, Narumi…"

"Is it possible?"

"Going down to the Living World to stalk a student of yours? Yes. Maybe." She turned away from him and sighed exasperatedly. "You'll have to ask the Council yourself – only they can grant you permission to do that. I'll take you to Town Hall tomorrow, and I'll bring Mikan along."

"Mikan-chan? Is it safe for her? I thought the Council could obliterate-"

"Before she fell asleep," Reiko cut tersely, "she told me something. She said her parents had died before she could memorise their faces. She believes they're here somewhere, and she wants to find them."

Narumi raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't everybody?"

A small smile crept onto Reiko's face. "You know, Narumi, when people die they might not always end up in the same place. I didn't originally land in Sayona, you know. I wanted to find my parents so badly, I went to the Council."

"Did they help you find them?" he asked softly.

"I wouldn't be here in this ramen shop otherwise." She laughed. Narumi waited patiently for her laughter to die down. "Tell me again about this boy."

Reiko had lied when she told Mikan that Narumi didn't remember how he died – it was a personal issue and he had requested that she told no one.

Narumi's expression turned dark. "I told you about Alices already, didn't I? Anyway, that boy – Natsume Hyuuga – has the Alice of fire. He's a valuable asset to the Academy. I don't blame him for my death, but I fear for the boy. No doubt the Academy will punish him for what he did – it'll get into the papers, the news… Rumours will spread and the Academy's reputation will be ruined. The companies funding that institute might pull out, and there will be uprisings…" He shuddered. "Natsume's punishment – he will either die from the pain from the punishments, or he will kill himself to escape the pain."

Reiko frowned. "Either way, it's not pretty."

"That boy has so many more years ahead of him," Narumi said gravely. "I tried to get him to see the light – to show him that he could still achieve happiness within the Academy walls, but I failed. I can't fail again. As his teacher, it's my obligation."

"How noble." Reiko clapped softly as she smirked. She turned away from him and stepped back into the room where Mikan slept. She drew the curtains to block out the sunset's glaring light. "We'll see how tomorrow goes."

\\\

**To be continued…**

Mikan's parents - I forgot in which episode this was mentioned, but when Mikan was younger, she asked her grandfather where they were. He told her they had passed on - became stars in the sky that watched over her.

Sayona - I don't think there's a direct translation for this, but 'sayo' means born at night and 'na' is something similar to field. If you extend 'Sayona', you get 'Sayonara' - haha, get it? Okay, never mind.


	2. Chapter 2

I can finally upload. I've been trying to for days, but this site keeps giving me problems. Anyway, to those who saw my retirement notice on my profile -** I'm only half-serious**. My love for fan fiction is an on-and-off thing, and I hardly have time to write these days. I don't want to get anybody's hopes up - I might never update again, or I might only update an odd eleven times a year.

**Dedications: lil'kitty and crazygirl18.**

\\\**  
Living Dead  
Chapter Two**  
\\\

Jinno burst into the Headmaster's office, panting heavily.

"Sir! P-problem!"

"Compose yourself, Jinno," Persona said silkily.

"Persona!" Jinno hissed, looking around the room. "Where is the Headmaster?"

"At a meeting with some… business associates," the masked man answered dispassionately. He vacated the Headmaster's chair, taking long strides to the door.

"Wait, Persona!" Jinno grabbed Persona's shoulder, spinning him round. "Organisation Z has stolen the victims' bodies –"

"I know that, Jinno," Persona spat out. He slapped Jinno's hand off his shoulder, like it was a poisonous appendage. "I am head of intelligence, after all. I knew about it the moment their van intercepted the ambulance."

"Well, what happens now?"

"No need to fret, old man. I've arranged for a retrieval team."

Persona stalked down the Alice Academy hallway, leaving Jinno to stare at the back of his lithe form. The teacher removed his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose.

"Narumi…" he whispered.

Natsume was alone in the hospital room. He stared stonily at the shadowy ceiling, ignoring the numbness of his fingers and the painful throbbing in his legs. The door clicked open and he craned his sore neck to glare at the intruder.

Subaru Imai stepped calmly into the room. He stood over Natsume, the glare of his glasses concealing what little emotion he showed in his eyes.

"What do you want?" Natsume growled hoarsely.

"Persona sent me," Subaru replied icily. He loosened his tie and sat down on the chair at the boy's bedside. He continued, "No school doctor is free at the moment. The Academy has dispatched its doctors to help the civilians your little stunt injured."

Natsume looked away. "So you're here to heal me? Isn't that pointless, considering all the_ effort_ Persona took in punishing me?"

An amused smirk crawled its way to Subaru's face. "He sends his deepest apologies and regrets his actions, Hyuuga-kun." He rolled up his sleeves and pulled back Natsume's blanket, inspecting his injuries. His hands glowed blue as he hovered them over a cut on the boy's knee. The cut gradually became smaller until it disappeared completely. "He needs you for another mission."

Natsume's face was impassive. "I know," he said quietly. He wasn't stupid enough to think that Persona actually cared for him.

"Speak of the devil," Subaru mused. "It's Persona himself."

Persona seemed to materialise from the very shadows of the room. "Oh, talking about me, hmm?"

Natsume refused to look at the masked man. He kept his gaze trained on the ceiling, but he knew Persona was looking at him.

"How is he, Subaru?" he demanded.

"Healing nicely. I'm almost done with him."

"Natsume."

"Hn."

Persona laughed tonelessly. "Still sore at me, I see? Well, it can't be helped." His voice turned business-like. "Your mission is to retrieve two bodies from a warehouse approximately twenty-four kilometres away from here. My sources claim the two bodies to be those of Alices, and Organisation Z probably stole them for their research. Akira Tonouchi will be your partner for this mission. Incapacitate anyone that gets in your way."

"Is that enough for you?" Natsume suddenly spat out, sitting up and disrupting Subaru's work. He was livid. "Don't you want me to kill them, too?"

"There is no need. I believe you have enough guilt on your conscience."

He exited the small room, leaving Natsume to mull over the implications of his sentence.

\\\

Reiko had told Narumi a half-lie – there was more to being dead than she let on. She closed her eyes, breathing in the cool air that blew into the room through the open window. The sun was rising, staining the sky a soft orange shade.

She glanced at the sleeping girl beside her. Propping herself up on her elbow, Reiko twirled a silky lock of auburn hair – illuminated gold by the sunlight – round her fingers. She studied the smooth curve of Mikan's jaw, and the way her long, dark eyelashes cast gentle shadows on her cheeks.

"Ne, Mikan," she whispered. "I know you can't hear me, but I'd like to tell you this anyway." Reiko released her hair and cupped the girl's cheek. "You remind me so much of myself when I was a lot younger – when I was still alive and I found my parents murdered in the kitchen. When I finally died, I thought that I had found peace and rest at last. But you know what? There's not much difference being dead or alive."

Reiko hiccupped, lowering her head onto the futon. "Sure, we don't get any older or younger here. We don't get sick or physically injured, and there's no way we can die again here." She let out a weak laugh, which was muffled by the blanket she had wrapped around her and Mikan.

"But emotions still exist – negative emotions like envy, anger, hatred and sorrow. They are terrible emotions to feel, but it's even worse when you feel them in death. The emotions consume you, and you become blinded by darkness. You become a demon… an empty shell of a human soul…"

The young woman gently wrapped an arm around the brunette and wriggled closer to her. Her pool of inky, black hair mingled with Mikan's thick, silky locks. The image reminded the older female of peanut butter and grape jam spread on a slice of bread. "Mikan… Places like Sayona exist for happy people. Demons disrupt the happiness here, infecting the dead with bitterness and wrath. Town Hall exists to prevent such things from happening. They send these demons to…"

The paper door slid open, abruptly ending Reiko's monologue. The ebony-haired woman shrieked before ducking under the blanket, feigning sleep. Narumi poked his head in.

"Reiko-san? Are you awake?" he whispered. "I'm going for a walk." When the two lumps on the futon did not stir, Narumi slid the door closed.

Reiko lay still quietly on the futon, contently listening to Mikan's soft breathing. She blinked back tears that had gathered in her eyes. Her monologue had brought back unpleasant memories.

"Idiot," she scolded herself. "What am I doing, telling a mere child about such things? She's just a child – no way she can understand anyway."

She laughed softly, her hands tracing the creases around her smiling mouth. Tears stained the mattress.

\\\

But the fact that Mikan was merely a child bothered her.

Reiko eyed Narumi critically, who was laughing at a joke Mikan had told. The three of them were walking to Town Hall, where Narumi's action plan was to be proposed.

Reiko grabbed the back of Narumi's_ yukata_ and thrust Mikan forward. "Mikan-chan, why don't you get us some ice-cream?" She smiled sweetly, pointing at a man pushing a sweets cart.

Mikan's face lit up. "Okay!"

"Really, Reiko-san," Narumi said breathlessly, blushing. "If you wanted to be alone with me, all you had to do was ask… But to be frank, you're not my type, sorry…"

"Shut up! I don't like you that way!" Reiko seethed. She folded her arms, her thin lips stretched into a frown. "I know the council," she said gravely.

At Narumi's raised eyebrow, she elaborated, "There is a group of people who run Town Hall's activities. They call themselves _Kageyoshi_." She narrowed her eyes. "In a way, they decide who lives and who dies; who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell."

Narumi paled. "I'd rather not have known that, Reiko-san. It's bad enough on Earth – the politicians are all control freaks – I didn't think that the world of the dead would be so stifling as well."

"How unfortunate for you to have known me then," Reiko commented dryly. She grabbed his arm. "Listen, Narumi. Be careful when dealing with the council, especially this man called Kyuujin. He likes toying with people –"

"Narumi-sensei! Reiko-san!" Mikan called, waving them over to the sweets cart. "Would you like chocolate or strawberry ice-cream?"

Reiko pressed a finger to her cheek. "Mmm, both are nice! But I prefer strawberry." She flashed another sweet smile at the brunette before grabbing the front of Narumi's _yukata_. She levelled his wide, amethyst eyes with her dark ones. She was dead serious – literally. "Narumi, listen to me. No matter what the council says, do not bring Mikan into the Living World with you. More importantly, don't let her find out who her murderer is. Do we understand each other, Narumi?"

Narumi closed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought. "I understand," he said coolly, "but I can't guarantee everything will go smoothly. Anything can happen."

Reiko released the blond. "I know that," she snapped. "Whatever happens, just don't let her know what the boy did. Even the dead can get consumed by emotions. Never forget that."

The raven-haired woman walked ahead of him, concealing her conflicted state of mind with happy squeals as she took an ice-cream cone from Mikan. She accidentally dropped it. She tried to grab the cone during its fall, but only succeeded in knocking Mikan's cone from her hands and the two cones landed squarely on the ice-cream vendor's chest. Narumi tucked his arms into the folds of his _yukata_ as he watched the two girls laugh delightedly.

"I wonder, Reiko-san. Are you talking from experience?"

\\\

Three guards lay unconscious on the grass, knocked out by two boys in animal masks. Their assailants dragged their bodies into nearby bushes. They silently jumped into the warehouse the guards had been patrolling through an open window.

Akira – a tall boy with long, black hair from the Alice Academy high school division – crept behind a crate while his partner knocked out the guards in the warehouse. All enemies incapacitated, he crept out from his hiding place.

"You okay, Neko-chan?" he asked, noting that the boy was panting.

Natsume glared at him, but it was useless since his black cat mask was in the way. "Why didn't you help me?"

Akira tried to ruffle Natsume's hair, but the younger boy slapped his hand away. "Don't be silly, Neko-chan. If the enemy thinks there's only one of us around, they wouldn't expect a surprise attack if they ever disabled you."

Natsume grunted. They had to concentrate on finding the Alices' bodies. "Do you have a description of the bodies?"

"Yeah: one man with blond hair and a girl with brown hair. They died two days ago." Akira glanced cautiously in Natsume's direction. It was the same day Natsume escaped from the Academy.

Natsume said nothing.

Akira spied a large, steel table at the eastern end of the warehouse. A massive white sheet was draped atop it. He snapped his fingers, gaining Natsume's attention. He pointed at the table, and Natsume nodded.

The two advanced to the table. Akira's hand gripped the cloth apprehensively. He craned his neck to see Natsume, a small ball of fire conjured up in his hand. If this was a trap, the Black Cat was ready to retaliate.

Akira nodded once to Natsume before brandishing the sheet. Two lumps in body bags met their sights – one was long and the other short.

"We found them," breathed Akira. His eyebrows suddenly knit together as he grabbed the zipper of the larger bag.

"What are you doing?" Natsume snarled.

"Confirming the bodies' identities." Akira smirked. "Or is Neko-chan afraid of seeing dead bodies?"

Natsume scowled. "Go on, then."

\\\

Narumi found himself in a small clearing in a forest. He was still dressed in his olive green_ yukata_, but he noticed that he seemed to be translucent. He took a step forward tentatively – he couldn't feel the grass beneath his slippers but it was_ there_ all the same.

The blond let out a low whistle, apparently enjoying his ghostly state of being. He looked up and spotted a grey building in the distance. He made his way over to the squat warehouse, allowing the scarce moonlight to guide him there.

Mikan stared at the door Narumi had gone through just minutes before.

"Mikan, sit down," Reiko said quietly. "Narumi-san won't be back for a while. He'll come back home to the ramen shop when he's done."

"Oh." She complied with Reiko's command, sitting back down on the hard, foldable chair. There were a lot of people at Town Hall – it reminded her of the local clinic her grandfather used to take her to.

People lined up at a reception counter where they registered their names and dilemmas. They received numbers and sat down in the waiting area. There were twelve doors around the large, circular room – thirteen if you included the entrance. Numbers flashed on a large television screen in the waiting area, and those with the corresponding numbers went into the newly vacated rooms.

In each of the twelve rooms was a council member. They advised and counselled the souls of the departed.

"You're very quiet," Reiko observed. Mikan was a talkative girl. "What's on your mind?"

"I was just thinking," Mikan seemed to have trouble phrasing her sentence, "that… this place is almost no different from a clinic."

"In a way, that's true."

Mikan furrowed her eyebrows and gazed up at the dark-haired woman. "It's like they treat death as a business."

Reiko's eyes widened. She was impressed with the young girl's perceptiveness. "What makes you say that?" she asked curiously."

Mikan shivered, rubbing her arms. "It's just the feel I get from here. It's the same feeling I get whenever my best friend Hotaru gets a moneymaking idea into her head."

"Hotaru?"

Mikan's amber eyes glittered merrily. "Oh, I didn't tell you about Hotaru, did I?" She broke into a huge grin as she told the older woman about her raven-haired genius friend, who had an almost deity-like love for money, and all the unusual machines she made and sold.

A buzzing sound reverberated throughout the room as "87" flashed on the television screen.

"That's me!" Mikan exclaimed, jumping out of her chair and running to the first open door she saw.

"Welcome," a man sitting at an oak desk chirped merrily. He had brown hair, slitty eyes and a long, thin mouth that curled into a sly grin. He reminded Mikan of a fox. "I am Kyuujin-sama. And you are…" He consulted a small computer on his desk. "Mikan Sakura-san?"

"Y-yes," the little girl stuttered, clumsily plopping down on the chair in front of the desk.

Kyuujin smiled wider, revealing round, pearly white teeth – Mikan had half-expected the man to possess a full set of sharp, pointy teeth. "You wish to find your parents?"

Mikan shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She felt like Kyuujin was boring a hole into her body. "Y-yes…"

"Mikan-chan, how old were you?"

Mikan flinched at the past tense. "I was ten, Kyuujin-sama."

The fox-like man clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "Pity to have died so young. What were you doing at the time of death?"

Mikan concentrated on her lap, where her small hands were clasped together. "I-I was on my way to Alice Academy in Tokyo."

"Oh, famous school, no? Were you a student there?"

"N-no… My best friend Hotaru goes there. I wanted to visit her."

"But what happened?"

"I felt something crush my chest. I-I think I heard an explosion…"

Kyuujin clucked his tongue again. He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. His fingers formed a steeple. "Did you think there were a lot of people waiting outside, Mikan-chan?"

"Yes?" Mikan answered uncertainly. To where was this leading?

"Actually, there aren't that many compared to before," he stated matter-of-factly. "People have become content with death. They no longer question their fate or prey upon the Living as much as they used to. They have conceded to their helplessness and succumb to the mindless euphoric lifestyle Sayona offers."

Mikan's legs were trembling now. "Isn't that a good thing, sir?"

"It's become too boring," Kyuujin whispered venomously.

"Pardon me?"

"It's nothing," the man said quickly, grinning slyly. "Ne, Mikan-chan… I think it's_ such_ a pity that you died so young without even knowing how you died. Or rather,_ who_ killed you."

"Who?" Mikan's eyes were wide. Kyuujin laughed inwardly. She had taken the bait – now all he had to do was reel her in.

"Yes, Mikan. You were killed – stolen from your grandfather, cut off from your dear Hotaru… All your dreams are gone – it's like you never existed. That is what death does to you. Unlike most people, you have someone to blame for erasing your life. He could've picked anyone off the street, but it had to be you. Do you want to know why? Because you looked worthless."

Mikan's vision was getting blurry – tears rimmed around her eyes. "Please don't tell me this!"

"But you want to know, don't you?" Kyuujin said shrewdly. "If you want to see his face, I can show you."

"No," Mikan whimpered. "If I see him, I'll hate him. I don't like being hated, so I shouldn't hate people! Grandpa taught me that!"

Kyuujin chuckled. "But what if this killer kills other people – what if he gets to your Grandpa? Do you want people to be like you, too? Erased,_ worthless_? Like they were never born? Never laughed or smiled?"

Mikan stopped crying, her sobs reduced to sniffles. She glared blearily at Kyuujin. He extended his right hand.

"Come," he purred. "I will take you to him."

Her heart screamed at her to stop, to refuse, but her body thought otherwise. She reached for his hand shakily, and the moment his rough, calloused fingers gripped hers, she realised what she had just done – it felt like she had just made a pact with the devil.

Mikan suddenly found herself alone in a grassy clearing. She sank to her knees, weeping and hiccupping. "This isn't right! Grandpa didn't raise me like this! This isn't right…"

_Stand up, Mikan-chan_.

Mikan looked up at the dark sky. "Kyuujin-sama?"

_Look over there, Mikan-chan._

Mikan spotted a grey building in the distance. Her eyes widened when she saw Narumi-sensei running towards it. Instinctively, she followed.

Narumi was clueless that someone was following him. He ran into the building – he went straight through the wall – and Mikan followed suit. They found themselves in a dark warehouse.

Natsume gasped. "Naru…" The two spectres looked wildly in their direction.

Akira frowned in disgust. "Blond man, alright." He re-zipped the body bag. "I have a feeling that the little girl we're looking for is in the smaller body bag."

Natsume nodded grimly, his face ashen._ When did Narumi die? Why weren't we told?_

"I'm calling Persona," Akira murmured, whipping out a cellular phone. "It's me. You seriously want us to bring back these bodies to the Academy? At least prepare a car or something!"

Natsume heard Persona's silky voice through the phone. "Oh, you've found them? There's been a change in plans. Get Natsume to –"

"Persona!" Natsume roared, snatching the phone away from his senior. "Why wasn't I informed of Narumi's death?"

Mikan was listening to the conversation. She hid behind a crate immersed in the shadows while Narumi watched the scene openly, standing casually behind Natsume.

Persona laughed, his chuckles eerily echoing about the silent warehouse. "Boy, he died two days ago. He was a victim of your little escapade."

"…The little girl, too?"

Persona's mirthful laugh confirmed it. "Now listen, Natsume. There's been a change of plans. Bring the little girl's body back to the Academy. Burn Narumi's body. We don't want any evidence, and his body is evidence."

Natsume handed the phone back to Akira wordlessly. He started gathering flames in his hands.

"Oh, and one more thing," Persona said smoothly. "Our enemies know about your Fire Alice. They have probably rigged explosives in the warehouse. Make sure Natsume controls his fire –"

"Idiot! Warn us first!" Akira screamed as he grabbed the smaller body bag and ran. He tried to pull Natsume with him, but the boy was out of his reach. His flames licked Narumi's body bag and spread to the table it was on.

The two boys smelled gunpowder for a moment before the table exploded. Four bodies – two dead – flew into the air before landing in a heap on the cool grass. The warehouse was ablaze, and Organisation Z thugs were running about in a panic.

Akira was unconscious, and Natsume was almost there. The body bags had been ripped open – Narumi's bloodied form lay beside him. The body of the little girl was splay-legged on the grass, and her lifeless face was staring at the stars.

Mikan ran over to where the boys were, completely unaffected by the explosion. She tripped clumsily when she saw her body next to Narumi's. Confused, her eyes landed on the boy closest to her body. He had black hair and a cat mask on his face.

"You killed me," she breathed.

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**To be continued…**

My pen name might change. I'd like a fresh start...


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